Maybe a silly question… But is it possible to stay in Taiwan long term (1-2 years) without working, studying or being married? If I have a work permit/ARC, can I sponsor my girlfriend for a visa? Are there any other options?
Thanks in advance for any replies.
Bumping this topic up.
I was just passing by but the place completely captured my heart and I would like to stay from 6 months to 2 years.
I do not need a job here and not against learning Chinese. Do you folks know any options available or maybe can advice an immigration lawyer?
Thanks.
Fyi
Visa-Exempt Entry
https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-149-270-9fd80-2.html
If you are eligible, and don’t mind making a visa run every 3 months, this may be the easiest way.
Information on Republic of China Visitor Visas
https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-157-248-4f20b-2.html
Visitor Visa for Tourism Purpose
https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-158-250-a5a40-2.html
Information on Republic of China Resident Visas
https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-165-1878-1ff5e-2.html
Resident Visas for Investment
https://www.boca.gov.tw/cp-166-278-9b20e-2.html
We also have some more recent threads about this topic.
Do you have any relatives in Taiwan?
If not, doing a Visa run every couple months is probably the best way to go.
If you don’t speak Chinese, enrolling in language study is the best way to experience Taiwan. Not because the schools are social clubs, but because you’ll be able to communicate with people. That will also take care of your visa.
Don’t worry about all that. Just fly to the Philippines for 6000 round trip and get a new visa for another 30 or 90 days or whatever Taiwan allows for your country.
If eligible a working holiday visa is good for one year. You don’t have to actually work.
Applicable country
＊ New Zealand (Effective from June 1, 2004)
＊ Australia (Effective from November 1, 2004)
＊ Japan (Effective from June 1, 2009)
＊ Canada (Effective from July 1, 2010)
＊ Germany (Effective from October 11, 2010)
＊ Korea (Effective from January 1, 2011)
＊ The United Kingdom (Effective from January 1, 2012)
＊ Ireland (Effective from January 1, 2013)
＊ Belgium (Effective from March 29, 2013)
＊ Slovak (Effective from October 23, 2014)
＊ Poland (Effective from December 1, 2014)
＊ Hungary (Effective from December 31, 2014)
＊ Austria (Effective from January 26, 2015)
Nationality: Applicants shall be citizens of contracting countries and shall have not been a previous recipient of an ROC working holiday visa.
Purpose: Applicants must prove to the ROC Embassy, Consulate and overseas missions issuing the visas that their primary intention is to holiday in the ROC, with employment being an incidental rather than a primary reason for the visit.
Age: The age of applicants shall be between 18 and 30 years, both inclusive, at the time of application.
Family members of working holiday visa holders, including spouse and children, shall not apply for visas as dependents to come along.
Validity of passport: When submitting an application, the applicants’ passport should be valid for more than 12 months upon planned arrival in the ROC.
Valid flight ticket: Applicants must hold a round trip flight ticket or have financial proof of the capability to purchase it.
Living expenses: Applicants shall be required to have at least NT$ 100,000 or an equivalent amount of foreign currency as their living expenses during their stay in the ROC.
Medical insurance: Applicants shall have full medical and hospitalization insurance during their stay in the ROC.
If you neither need nor want to work, a 180 day visitor visa is much easier to apply for. Then again, you may want to do volunteer work.
The requirements for a WHV (age range, money, etc.) and the permissions (total duration of stay, work restrictions etc.) vary by nationality. BOCA’s website should have the most up to date information, but you apply through your local TECO/TECRO. See the following thread for more.